That was the message on Tuesday at the Hendrick Motorsports complex in Concord, North Carolina when the 42-year-old explained his decision to walk away from full-time competition at the end of the 2017 season.
Colorful, candid and talented, Earnhardt has been plagued by concussions the last several years and he missed half of last season recovering from the latest head injury.
"From the standpoint of leadership and a driver who is listened to by the industry and fans when he speaks, not to mention his popularity, this is a big hit for NASCAR". He jumps to the hood of his vehicle after the race, throws his fists in the air and then hugs 2001 Daytona 500 champion and Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammate Michael Waltrip. NASCAR fans have no shortage of questions about the topic, so let's jump right into it.
He's no Tony Stewart, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. won't be done racing after retirement. In January 2013, BusinessWeek magazine named Earnhardt to its top 100 most influential people in sports. "I'm glad that he's doing it on his own terms". "That's all I read about on Twitter yesterday was how awesome the race was and how much fun it is to watch Larson".
In the days leading up to this year's 500, he told a small gathering of media he would make the decision to renew his contract or exit after two months of the 2017 season. But more than talent is needed to take the wheel of the No. 88 Chevy for team owner Rick Hendrick.
"He's very open", said Skip Riel, of Loudon. Obviously, every driver thinks about retirement when they get to a certain age. That was nice. I got so many long, long texts that were incredible from so, so many people. It has been suspected that his previous injuries are the reason he is retiring.
"When I realized how delicate things are and how quickly things can be made for you.I started thinking about [retirement]", Earnhardt said in a Hendrick Motorsports press conference today. There's nothing like coming out of turn four and you're the leader and you see the stands full on both sides and I can only imagine what that would be like to going to take the checkered flag.
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As a result, completing this season was important for Earnhardt. I certainly wouldn't make that mistake after he passed.
2004: Earnhardt is one of NASCAR's superior restrictor-plate racers, an ability he showcased when he won at Talladega Superspeedway.
Being the son of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. made his decision to go into racing hard, as he knew he would always be "growing up in that man's shadow". I didn't dream of winning championships, Daytona 500s or working with one of the best owners in the business. I just wanted to do it.
"I'm excited about what I'm seeing out of NASCAR being more proactive to keep drivers safe and err on the side of safety", he said. "I'm good on that front".
Hendrick Motorsports announced in a tweet on Tuesday morning that driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will retire from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series at the end of the 2017 season.
In December it was announced that Monster Beverage Corp would replace telecommunications company Sprint as the new title sponsor of the cup series, a move created to broaden the appeal of stock-car racing to the millennial generation.
There will be light after Junior leaves, Earnhardt insisted Tuesday. "I can take some insane chances there".
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